BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - This is about DeMario Pitts just as much as Ed Christian and Ladarious Phillips.

Pitts didn't play football at Auburn. Christian and Phillips did.

None of that matters now that the three young men were shot to death Saturday night at an apartment complex in Auburn.

This is about Xavier Moss and John Robertson just as much as Eric Mack.

Moss and Robertson don't play football at Auburn. Mack does.

None of that matters now that Moss has been treated and released and, according to the Auburn police chief, Mack is in a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and Robertson is in another hospital fighting for his life. All of them also were victims in the same senseless incident.

The football connection may be the reason I'm writing about this tragedy and you're reading about it. It may be the reason networks from ESPN to CNN are talking about it. It may be the reason people everywhere are Tweeting and Facebooking about it.

But let's get one thing straight as the police search for the suspect they've identified as Desmonte Leonard of Montgomery and the rest of us search for answers.